Google Drive Plays Nicer With Microsoft Word And Excel

Google announced that it has released some updates for import/export for Microsoft Word and Excel files to and from Google Drive.

“Now, when converting a Microsoft Excel file to a Google spreadsheet, you’ll be able to import embedded pictures – plus radar and stock charts,” Google explains in a Google+ update. “When you’re exporting to XLSX, charts will be exported as native charts, and your chartsheets will export properly. Additionally, your pivot tables will be fully imported and exported, except for those pivot table features not supported in Google spreadsheets.”

“When you convert a Microsoft Office file to a Google document, you’ll notice that fonts, document background, table borders, and Equations are imported more seamlessly, too.”

Earlier this week, Google launched a new feature that enables you to get search results in Google web search from your personal Google Drive file collection. It’s an extension of the Gmail results field trial launched earlier this year, but to participate, you have to opt in to the new field trial. More on that here.

I have to say, now that it’s been activated for me, it’s pretty handy – particularly in search for docs from the Chrome omnibox.